Body Weight Perception and its Relationship with Anthropometric Indices of Undergraduate Students in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate body weight perception and its relationship with anthropometric indices and blood glucose of undergraduate students in Port Harcourt. Methodology: The study involved a total of 600 undergraduate students aged 18-35 years (including 249 males and 351 females). Body weight perception was assessed using a structured questionnaire. The anthropometric indices (weight, height, waist, hip and shoulder circumference and foot length) of each subject were measured using standard methods while the ratios were calculated. Findings: The average BMI of undergraduates was 23.66±0.13kg/m2. There was no significant gender difference in BMI, hip circumference and foot length. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were significantly higher in males while waist-to-height ratio was significantly higher in females. There was significant correlation between BMI and hip circumference, shoulder circumference and waist circumference but no significant correlation exists between BMI and foot length. The incidence of obesity amongst undergraduates in Port Harcourt was as low as 3.3% using the measured BMI even when only 1.5% admitted being obese. The actual BMI classified overweight was 25.7% as against perceived overweight of 19.8%. Only 56.3% perceived themselves to be within the normal weight whereas up to 67.5% were actually normal weight. The incidence of underweight was 3.5% but as many as 22.3% of undergraduates perceived they were underweight. Unique Contribution of Theory, Practice and Policy: Waist-to-height ratio therefore was more useful in assessing abdominal size in females while waist-to-hip ratio was more useful in assessing abdominal size in young adult males. Amongst the anthropometric indices, foot length was a poor tool in assessing body weight.